https://appstatesports.com/news/2017/12/21/football-nunn-a-qb-protecting-pancake-delivering-standout-for-app-state.aspx
Nunn has allowed only one sack at right tackle, and PFF College Football data says his four QB pressures allowed rank first among the 179 FBS tackles with at least 300 pass-block snaps. NC State's Will Richardson and Northern Illinois' Eugene German are tied for second place with five pressures apiece.
"He's played a lot of football, so he's a guy that's perfecting his craft," App State offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Shawn Clark said. "As a lineman, an inch here or an inch there is a big difference, and you really saw him take his game to the next level, whether it's pass blocking, run blocking or how he finished.
"That was probably the biggest thing for me, watching how he finished games out. He was taking guys 5, 10 yards down the field and finishing them to the ground, which is what you want to see."
Given a line-leading grade of 84 by App State's coaches, who determined he had 670 "plus" plays in his 802 snaps, Nunn finished the regular season with 62 knockdown blocks and 14 pancake blocks.
Some of his favorite plays to review on film involved double-team blocks with longtime roommate and right guard Colby Gossett. They've made a combined 85 starts, including 45 straight from Gossett.
Clark recalled the two seniors driving a New Mexico State defender 15 yards to the end zone on one App State score, and true freshman Daetrich Harrington scored his first career touchdown by following the battle-tested tandem as they drove a Georgia Southern defender into the end zone.
"We took him on a little joy ride and got after it a little bit," Nunn said.
There was also the memorable "backside" block in which Jalin Moore gained 58 yards at Georgia State after running through an up-the-middle hole created by Gossett and Nunn, who was turned in the wrong direction. He simply boxed out the defender, and Moore's long gain early in the third quarter set up a touchdown that gave the Mountaineers a 17-7 lead in their 31-10 victory.
Nunn's most noticeable effort in a throwing situation occurred at ULM, where Moore caught Taylor Lamb's swing pass in the backfield and raced down the right sideline for a 75-touchdown. He broke free after cutting behind a block from the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Nunn, who had advanced 17 yards beyond the line of scrimmage to engage a defensive back.
"I was supposed to get the frontside linebacker, but he blitzed, so I just ran to the first guy I saw and blocked him out of bounds, and Jalin cut in behind me," Nunn said. "That was awesome. I didn't even know where (Moore) was – I was just blocking my guy. I looked out of the corner of my eye and he was going downfield."
The science is lacking, but there is a recruiting strategy in place.
App State utilizes a zone blocking scheme, with head coach Scott Satterfield often stating semi-seriously the Mountaineers have only two running plays: the inside zone and outside zone.
Troy coach Neal Brown said this week that Appalachian is the best team in the country at running the outside zone, which calls for linemen to move laterally at the snap. With defenders willing to flow toward the sideline, taking on the correct assignment and blocking the inside portion of a defender's body can create a cutback lane for Moore or Cox.
Given its scheme and status as a Group of Five program, Appalachian State often recruits linemen who are smaller (with an ability to add weight) and more mobile than Power Five prospects.
http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/football/app-state-s-highly-regarded-ol-tackles-another-challenging-test/article_95a7e6f9-5213-5b10-862c-8abb973fbdba.html
Offensive tackle Beau Nunn with another impressive display of athleticism pic.twitter.com/O0CgMvD0Ed
— App State Athletics (@appstatesports) March 27, 2018
Colby Gossett and Beau Nunn did this an awful lot for a line that made 300-yard rushing games routine in their four years pic.twitter.com/zmoNijKm9D
— App State Athletics (@appstatesports) March 27, 2018
